Variety the children’s charity is privileged to benefit from the extraordinary dedication, experience and abilities of our volunteer board of directors.
Peter Hebbes AM: Chairman/Chief Barker 
Peter Hebbes has been a member of Variety since 1987 and during the past 20 years has held a number of positions on various management and fundraising committees including the Melbourne Cup Lunch, Heart Awards, Hot to Trot, various race days and tribute dinner functions. He has also acted as Membership Secretary and Functions Chairman.
In 1990 Peter became Chairman of the NSW region and in 1999 was elected Chief Barker of Tent 56. For the past 15 years Peter has been an active member of the Bash Committee and is the current chairman of Motoring Events for NSW and Deputy National Bash Chairman.
In 2003 Peter was made a life member of Variety and in 2006 was awarded the Medal of Australia (AM) for his services to Charity and the Music Industry. Peter is also the co-founder and trustee of the Golden Stave Foundation and a director of the Nordoff - Robbins Music Therapy Association of Australia.
Paul Mullaly: Deputy Chairman
For almost 20 years, Paul has actively supported Variety in numerous ways including:
- Sunshine Coach Committee member for over 7 years, seconding for the Chairman when required;
- 15 B to B Bashes, 12 of these as an official, leading the Bash Air Crew and providing his company aircraft for use during the Bash at no cost to Variety;
- Entrant in five Newcastle Splashes;
- Attendance at three Variety International Conventions;
- With other members of his family, receipt of an International Presidential Citation for their support of Variety;
- Volunteer at the annual Darling Harbour Children’s Christmas party for more than ten year;
- Attendance at numerous Variety functions including Heart awards, dinners, events and fund raisers.
Presently, Paul manages his family’s construction business and has recently completed a Masters degree in Engineering Management.
Russell Irving.jpg "Russell Irving")
: Director
Russell Irving is renowned for his consistently high level of motivation and the ability to gain empathy with his audience. He has skills: Sales, Marketing, Strategic Business Development, and Change Management over his years in corporate life.
Just a small example of some of the projects that Russell has worked on includes Sales Operations for office technology giants Canon Australia and Konica-Minolta.
Today Russell Irving is Managing Director of Summit Business Development a firm consulting to companies and developing business through coaching and market development programs.
Throughout his career Russell has always held a keen interest in the well being of his associated industry and community. For several years he was the President of the National Office Dealers Association, and for the past sixteen years Russell has held an active interest in ‘Variety the Children’s Charity’. Working with ‘Variety’ as both a Corporate sponsor and Basher of Car (25), Russell has assisted in collectively raising over $500,000, as part of this amazing charity that works to support young Australian’s in need of a helping hand.
Today Russell is a Director of the charity and is currently working to provide Telemedicine to children’s emergency wards with Variety throughout Australia through the Variety 'Vision for Life' program.
Amanda Mead: Director
Amanda Mead has been an active Tent 56 Crew Member for three years, most recently as Co-chair of the Planned Giving Committee, working on the Giving Day Grants Committee and the Variety International Marketing Forum.
Amanda is currently a PhD student at Macquarie Graduate School of Management, researching corporate culture and the roles and effectiveness of participants in change meetings.
Amanda brings to Variety expertise from over 10 years commercial experience in senior marketing and strategic planning roles. She consults in strategic management, consumer marketing and branding.
Bernt Schindler: Director
Bernt has been involved in Variety, the Children’s Charity for over five years. Initially getting involved in the Young Variety committee. In the last 2 years he has taken on the role of YV Chairperson transforming the committee to maintain an active role in fundraising and increasing exposure in the younger generations. He has produced record fundraising through the YV events and built a sustainability platform for Variety in the future.
During his career Bernt has held varied roles in sales, marketing, management and recruitment. He is currently the General Manager of the recruitment and labour hire firm Abacus Proactive. He has secured major preferred supplier agreements and helped build a subsidiary business that specialises in work safety and OH&S using inescapable messaging. This business has managed to secure the Australian rights to The Simpsons Safety Products from Fox Studios in the US. His company is expanding rapidly opening another office in the Surry Hills area and Brisbane in addition to their Liverpool office.
Bernt has been a director since 2010 and still sits as chair of the YV committee. He is also involved in the Santa Fun run event and sits on the executive committee. He is determined to create sustainability for Variety and sees this as being an important step in the success of the charity.
Susan Warda: Director
Susan became a solicitor in 1993 and has extensive experience in the practice of family law. She is an accredited specialist who joined Coleman Greig in 2000, became an Associate with the firm in 2006 and a Principal in 2007.
Susan has been involved in cases dealing with all aspects of family law. These include complex financial matters, Hague Convention Applications, the separate representation of children, matters concerning parenting arrangements, child support matters and de facto relationship cases.
Susan has completed training in mediation and collaborative family law which enables her to assist clients to resolve their disputes without having to be involved in costly and time consuming litigation. Susan’s commitment to providing clients with an alternative to court-based separation has seen her become a founding member of Western Sydney Collaborative Family Lawyers, a network of respected legal professionals with expertise in the non-court based approach. This approach is particularly beneficial to separating couples who may have complex financial issues and are looking for both speed and privacy during the separation process.
Susan’s active role on the Executive Committee of Austlaw, an association of independent law firms located throughout NSW, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT, has now led to her appointment as Chairperson of the network.
Susan Bannigan B.Econ ACA: Director
Susan has over 25 years experience in the financial services industry in Europe and Australia. Susan joined RAMS Financial Group Pty Ltd in 2008 as Chief Financial Officer, after working 12 years within the Westpac Group in a variety of senior finance, treasury and business roles. Since early 2011, Susan has taken on the role of Chief Operating Officer for RAMS, responsible for the IT, finance, legal and compliance functions.
Working to better the lives of sick or disadvantaged children and to give them opportunities to enjoy their childhood is something Susan is passionate about as a mother of three.
Michael Barbour: Director
Michael Barbour first joined Westpac Banking Corporation fourteen years ago as a senior tax advisor and is currently the General Manager of Group Taxation, a position he has held for over 6 years. Michael is responsible for the overall management of Westpac’s taxation function providing direct tax advice, structuring and risk management advice to the Westpac Board, Group Treasury, Mergers and Acquisitions team and Westpac’s Senior CFO group. Prior to joining Westpac Michael worked for over a decade both with the Australian Taxation Office and in Senior Manager positions in Big 4 Accounting Firms. Michael currently provides strategic financial advice to the Aboriginal Housing Committee as well as sitting on the Finance Committee for the Inspire Foundation.
Jack Cannons AM: Director
Mr. Jack Cannons AM was appointed a Director of Variety Tent 56 in 1994. He is a past Chief Barker of Tent 56, a position he held for 4 years, this term concluded at the end of 2006. Since 1994 Jack has chaired many Variety committees, which include Sunshine Coaches, Bash, Melbourne Cup, Heart Awards and 30,30 Vision.
He has been an entrant in 28 Variety Bashes.
Jack has held positions on the Variety Australia Board for 9 years, he is the immediate past Chairman of Variety Australia a position he held for the past 3 years. Currently Jack is a Vice President of Variety International. He is Chairman of Variety International Sunshine Coach Committee, Chairman of the Variety International Chief Barkers/Executive Directors Operational Committee, (positions he has held for several years) and recently has taken the chair of Variety International Strategic Planning Committee.
Jack has a vast experience working and chairing a vast range of NFP and sporting boards and committees for the past 25 years, he is the founder of the Bush to Beach Program which supports Aboriginal communities and rewards Aboriginal Children with a visit to the Beaches of Sydney, if they attend school for a year. This program is now in its 7th year and has supported and helped more 700 children from the bush.
Gordon Cooper AM :Director
Gordon Cooper is a chartered accountant in sole practice as a tax consultant. That is why his Bash car is called Taxheads! Having discovered the Bash (and Variety) only late in life he is trying to make up for lost time. Gordon is also a Visiting Professional Fellow at the Australian School of Taxation, University of New South Wales. In June 2003, Gordon was awarded the AM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Gordon has a long list of professional involvements including:
- Former President of the Taxation Institute of Australia
- Chairman of the Committee of the Australian branch of the International Fiscal Association.
- Patron of the Australasian Tax Practitioners Board
- Chairman of the Australasian Branch of the UK Chartered Institute of Taxation
However if he is known to you, then it is likely to be as a man of weakness for:
- Wine – whether red, white or rose
- Boutique beers
- Classic cars
- Cricket
- Puns
Brian Hoare: Director
Brian has over forty years experience in the corporate sector working in manufacturing, engineering, sales, customer service, rental, human resources, corporate legal and finance.
Brian is currently a non executive director of Crown Equipment which has a turnover of five hundred million dollars and one thousand employees, is on the board of Adele House which operates three drug and alcohol centres in New South Wales and is on two Strata committees. Brian has Fellow status to the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Brian has had experience in not for profit organisations as he was the Chairperson at Interaction which is located in the Baulkham Hills area and supports intellectually challenged adults. This organisation had forty staff, one hundred clients and managed twelve residential houses.
Brian has been involved with Variety since 1988 firstly as a Basher (inducted into the Bash Hall of Fame 2009), several 4 X 4 Challenge events, Newcastle Bash entrant, a regular supporter of Variety fundraising functions, a Variety volunteer at the Children’s Christmas party and recently as a co-opted member of the Crew. Brian is very keen to continue as a member of the Crew.
Brian has been married for 43 years to Sue and they have two children and five grandsons.
Dr. Greg Levenston: Director
Greg was born in the UK but has lived in Australia since 1957. He has been the Medical Director at Bronte Medical Centre for 30 years and has two daughters, Harriet 24 and Sybilla 22 and a partner, Judith Morrice.
Greg has been a Mason for 20 years with roles within the organisation including Immediate Past Grand Master, Freemasonry NSW/ACT and Spokesman for Australian Freemasonry.
Greg’s skills include:
- Medical Practitioner
- Strong administrative background including leading Freemasonry in NSW, especially through the Grand Charity
- Personable, a “people” person
- Strong family background
- Ethical position on issues of importance
- Proven ability to make a positive social contribution, and a difference for those in need